When a storm swept through Bartow County in April 2011, Linda Crist was hundreds of miles away on a business trip in South Carolina.

Crist said she immediately thought of her mother, Marta Kudriczy, a senior living alone with no one close by to check on her well-being.

“Even though I knew I couldn’t do anything about it, I just wanted to do something,” Crist said.

It was in the aftermath of that storm that Crist said she thought long and hard about other seniors like her mother, who may be in need of assistance, not just in times of storm, but during the ordinary ebb and flow of every day life.

“I think that’s what started the thought process,” Crist said. “I guess it’s always been right under my nose and I decided to capitalize on it when I realized I was missing so much.”

Crist left her career at Shaw Industries and in January, launched Odds & Ends, a client services company that caters to seniors as well as pets.

Pet services include bathing, dog walking, pet sitting, feeding and transportation to and from medical appointments. Services are available for dogs, cats, birds, fish, hamsters and other household pets.

Crist said the idea is to provide assistance for those who could benefit from specialized care from an extra set of hands.

“Odds & Ends hopes to fill that need,” Crist said.

Crist said her work though Odds & Ends is meaningful and far more than a job.

“It feels absolutely right, “ Crist said.

Client Judy Frink said Crist’s passion for Odds & Ends is evident in the care she takes with her clients.

“It’s not just a business,” Frink said. “There is such a need in the community for a venture such as this.”

Odds & Ends is available seven days a week by appointment.

Wanda Hicks, who also is a client, said Crist has helped her household tremendously.

*We welcome your comments on the stories and issues of the day and seek to provide a forum for the community to voice opinions. All comments are subject to moderator approval before being made visible on the website but are not edited. The use of profanity, obscene and vulgar language, hate speech, and racial slurs is strictly prohibited. Advertisements, promotions, spam, and links to outside websites will also be rejected. Please read our terms of service for full guides